We master the driving techniques. In order for the bike to constantly obey you, you need to master the techniques that apply depending on the road you are moving on. You need to learn how to sit on a bike correctly, pedal effectively, and skillfully take turns. And in order to overcome steep climbs without getting off the bike, you need to be able to pedal while standing, using your weight. You should also master the ability to safely go downhill, quickly and at the right time to slow down. We will tell you how to learn it.
For a cyclist, a proper posture is very important, which should change depending on the riding conditions.
During the ride, the cyclist can be in two positions: sitting on the saddle or standing on the pedals (“dancer”). Both of these positions have some peculiarities.
The seat of a person sitting on a saddle is divided (depending on the angle of the torso and how the arms are bent) into high, medium and low. Considering that the average seating position is used only when riding sports-touring and racing bikes, we will only talk about high and low seating positions (Fig. 3).
With a high landing, the torso is in the usual, natural position, as when walking, the arms are only slightly bent at the elbows for cushioning. This landing is used while riding at a calm pace, as well as with a tailwind and on descents.
With a low landing, the cyclist, with his arms bent at the elbow joints, holds on to the steering wheel, strongly tilting his torso towards it. Since the tilt of the torso during this landing occurs in the hip joints, the cyclist’s spinal column bends slightly. Elbows should not be pressed close to the body, as this makes breathing difficult. With a low landing, the head is slightly raised, the cyclist looks forward at the road, as if from under his brows. This landing is used most often while driving against the wind, on the rise, with long accelerations.
While standing on the pedals, the efforts of the leg muscles are supplemented by the effect of body weight and the active efforts of the muscles of the hands, when the cyclist pulls the steering wheel towards himself with his right or left hand. All this significantly increases the rotational force of the bicycle cranks. For cushioning, the arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. This position is usually assumed by cyclists during acceleration and on steep ascents.
Ending the conversation about landing, one cannot fail to say about the resistance that the air exerts on the movement of the cyclist. The strength of this resistance depends on the size of the frontal area formed by the person and the speed of the cyclist.
It is known that with increasing speed, air resistance increases sharply. Thus, if the speed is doubled, the air resistance increases by 4 times, and if the speed is tripled, by 9 times. To reduce the oncoming air resistance, it is necessary to take a lower landing. However, a very low landing leads to rapid fatigue. Therefore, the choice of the most rational fit and the final installation of the saddle, steering wheel, pedal straps is made after repeated trips in various road conditions.